Red trees in autumn

Red is a color that humans tend to be very attracted to; not in vain, it is the color of what keeps us alive. Also birds love it, like hummingbirds; although in a country like Spain, where the climate is temperate, you will not see these precious animals, originally from the American rainforests. But that does not mean that we cannot enjoy a spectacular garden during the fall.

In fact, in temperate regions is where red trees live, those whose leaves change to that color before falling. Do you want to know what they are?

What trees turn red in fall?

There are many species of deciduous trees that, if the appropriate conditions are met, go from having a greenish hue to a reddish one. For example, these are some:

Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)

El japanese maple is a deciduous tree or shrub that can reach a height of 2 to 15 meters, depending on the variety or cultivar. Its leaves are palmately lobed, with colors that vary greatly from one variety to another, although green predominates in summer, and red in autumn. Anyway, here is a list of some that turn red or reddish during the fall season:

• Acer palmatum 'Autumn Fire'
• Acer palmatum 'Garnet'
• Acer palmatum 'Heptalobum Rubrum'
• Acer palmatum 'Inazuma'
• Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki'
• Acer palmatum 'Seyriu'

For more information, we recommend purchasing the book Japanese Maples: The Complete Guide to Selection and Cultivationby JD Vertrees and Peter Gregory. It is the encyclopedia of Japanese maples. A jewel. You can buy it by clicking here.

Real maple (Acer platanoides 'Crimson King')

El real maple 'Crimson King' It is a deciduous tree that reaches a height between 15 and 20 meters. Its crown is wide, 5-6 meters in diameter, and leafy. The leaves are palmate, crimson most of the year, and darker in autumn. It is undoubtedly a plant that will bring color in the garden during all months, except in clear winter, which is when it will run out of foliage.

NOTE: Common Royal Maple (Acer platanoides), it can also be red in autumn, but it is a more orange hue. In addition, its height is greater, reaching 30 meters.

Red maple (Acer)

The red maple is a deciduous tree that grows between 20 and 30 meters. It is a very beautiful plant, with a straight trunk that measures about 50 centimeters thick, and a crown of about 3-4 meters in diameter. The leaves are green in spring and summer, so it is during the fall that they turn red. There are some cultivars that are even more beautiful, such as 'October Glory' or 'Florida Flame', the latter is suitable for warm temperate climates.

Red beech (Fagus sylvatica f. purple)

El red beech It is a deciduous tree that can reach a height of up to 40 meters. It has a very wide crown, 6-7 meters, and numerous simple leaves sprout from its branches that are purple in spring, more greenish (without losing their original color) in summer and again purple in autumn.

katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum)

El katsura tree It is a deciduous plant that, although in its habitat it can become a tree of more than 40 meters in height, in cultivation the most common is that it does not exceed 10 meters. It has a very elegant bearing, with the branches growing almost horizontally. Its leaves are heart-shaped, and they are quite a sight in autumn: they turn yellow, then pink, and finally red. A marvel.

American liquidambar (Liquidambar styraciflua)

The American sweetgum, or simply sweetgum, is a deciduous tree that It can reach a height of up to 41 meters, although the most common is that it does not exceed 25 meters. It has a straight trunk, which branches short of the ground. Its leaves are pentalobed and green, but in autumn they turn first yellow and then dark red.

Swamp oak (quercus palustris)

El swamp oak It is a deciduous tree that grows between 20 and 30 meters in height. Its trunk measures up to 1 meter in diameter, and it has a crown whose lower branches grow downwards, while the medium ones do so horizontally and the upper ones do so vertically. Its leaves are green, although in autumn they turn reddish.

Red oak (quercus rubra)

El red oak, or American red oak, is a deciduous tree that reaches a height of 35-40 meters, and its trunk can measure up to 1 meter in diameter. Its leaves are lobed, with sharp tips, and green in color. In autumn they turn orange-reddish for a time, and do not fall off until mid to late winter.

How to take care of them?

The trees that turn red in autumn, although they are native to different countries, share basic needs. Therefore, if you want to have any of them, we recommend that you keep the following in mind:

The climate must be temperate

They are deciduous that lose their leaves in autumn-winter, therefore, they need the four seasons to be differentiated. In addition, during the winter season the temperature has to drop below 0 degrees. They resist moderate frosts, down to -18ºC on average, so they do not have to be grown in tropical climates or indoors.

The land must be fertile

Rich in organic matter, but also light. In addition, in some cases it will have to be acidic, such as for Japanese maple or beech, since these plants will not grow well in clay soils, since they will lack iron.

They need space

And not a little. Only those that resist pruning well, such as Japanese maple, will be able to be kept in small gardens. But the Quercus or the Liquidambar will feel more comfortable if the terrain is wide. In any case, if you like challenges, to avoid problems arising in the medium or long term, we advise you to plant it at least 5 meters from paved soils and pipes, but better if there are more.

They require frequent watering

Ideally, it would rain frequently, registering over 1000-2000mm of annual precipitation. However, when the climate is dry, these trees will have to be watered often so that they can stay alive, since would not survive a drought.

Which of these red trees in autumn did you like the most?